A Colorful Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

There was a viral campaign on FaceBook recently to reveal your bra color for breast cancer awareness. Here is the message many people saw in their FaceBook inbox.

“We are playing a game for Breast Cancer Awareness," one form of the message read. "Write the color of your bra as your status -- just the color, nothing else!! Copy this and pass it on to all girls -- NO MEN!! This will be fun to see how it spreads."

OK, if it works why not? Many bloggers and reporters took offense while others did not see the problem. The end result is that the campaign was talked about, the pros and cons of this kind of awareness strategy and hopefully raised some awareness. No one group is claiming ownership of the campaign as yet. So if you saw your FaceBook friends with a comment, Black, Pink or Nude, now you know!

Pomegranates have been in the news lately as the next darling for breast cancer prevention. Move over blueberries. So in trying to tie all current news together, let’s call that pink or nude bra pomegranate, and that black or blue bra blueberry and we can show our support for breast cancer awareness and our knowledge of breast cancer prevention.

Ovarian Cancer is the Ugly, Deadly, Killing Stepsister of Breast Cancer

Ovarian and breast cancer are linked together with the BRACA genes. In the world of cancer statistics if you have been tested and have this genetic mutation your chance for one or the other of these cancers or both is likely. Even if you don’t have this known genetic mutation, the links between ovarian and breast cancer are still a concern. For this reason I call Ovarian Cancer the ugly, deadly killing stepsister of Breast Cancer. Think of Breast Cancer as Cinderella and Ovarian Cancer as her stepsister with bipolar and off her medications and carrying a loaded hand gun and you get the idea.

Last week I went to a funeral of a friend of mine who died from Ovarian Cancer at age 53, five years after her first diagnosis. She was a great person, and it is very sad that she is gone. Her name was Sherie. She was a 6th grade teacher for 30 years, and also ran a summer program for pre-teen girls and did tutoring. Her husband added up that she had taught or mentored over 6,000 students.

After her diagnosis, Sherie realized that there were very few empowering events for ovarian cancer survivors. No large walks, charity fund raising events or recognizable logos. Sherie set to change this by starting her own foundation, http://www.shocfoundation.org/, to raise the awareness of ovarian cancer. She even started an ovarian awareness walk. The importance of all of this is that ovarian cancer kills so often that there are not that many survivors. There is no definitive diagnostic test for ovarian cancer and many patients by the time they are diagnosed are in the later stages of the disease. Sherie wanted to help to change that reality. Her foundation to date has raised close to a million dollars of which much is donated for ovarian cancer research.


This August at her foundation’s walk, Sherie was there, looking thin but thrilled to have so many survivors and friends participate. The start for the walk is at a huge parking lot of a big Harley Davidson dealership in the small suburb that she taught in for all these years. A woman’s roller derby team starts the race. Cub Scouts and Camp Fire Girls flag the street crossings. The eclectic crowd and surroundings is proof that cancer can touch everyone. I will miss Sherie, but her husband, daughter and son, and her foundation’s board are continuing her fantastic work.

Medical Studies about Cancer and Lying

What do cancer patients want from their Doctors? A study presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s annual meeting stated among other things patients want honesty about their chance for cure.

I wonder how the question was posed to the 500 patients in their interview.
Was it, ‘True or False, Do you want your radiation oncologist to lie to you about the chance that your cancer is cured?’
Yikes! Maybe I am wrong, but do some people want the lie?

In a recent entry in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Danish scientists surveyed 3,000 women who had breast cancer surgery. About half of the women said they had pain for up to 2 years after surgery, but only 1 in 5 told their doctors about their pain.
I wonder how the question was posed to the patients. Was it ‘True or False, No pain, Right?’
Yikes again!

Doctors know patients lie, and patients know when they are lying to their doctors. The question is; Does everyone know they are lying to each other when it comes to pain and cancer prognosis? What would be the goal to lie?

Cancer is such a complex disease, that honesty is truly the best policy, but then again lying can be easier than the truth. It wasn’t that long ago that doctors held a bad or terminal diagnosis from a woman patient and told her husband or some other male at first. Not that long ago women kept their diagnosis to themselves so not to upset the family. How interesting that deceit has a long and growing history when it comes to the patient-doctor relationship.

Living An Unplanned Life

I have always been organized and never a procrastinating person. I had a plan for my career, my vacations, and my life. You can imagine my surprise when I received an invasive aggressive breast cancer diagnosis. Breast cancer was not in my plans. It wasn’t even on my radar. I was forced to open up my plan book and add a new chapter.

As breast cancer awareness month winds down I wonder how many other women felt like me? How many other families had to cancel vacations, alter their roles, or give up careers? How many other women added not a new chapter to their life but a whole new book as I did?

I never would have thought that my breast cancer diagnosis would lead me to a new career path. A life threatening diagnosis can bring out different responses in different people. For me the response was to look at this life plan I had and not just edit it but start fresh. Starting my own Sleepwear Company, http://www.haralee.com/ gave me a new path, purpose and career. To be able to be my own boss, to be able to do something that helps others and to be able to give back to charity is the new plan for my life.

Change is difficult but achievable. Change in health, family, career, and income can all cause stress to a well planned order life. The joy is taking the changes and making a fuller life. I wish all breast cancer survivors the joy of survivorship in their new lives.

Will you dress up for Halloween and Breast Cancer this Year?

October is breast cancer awareness month and as the month advances, more thought is given to Halloween than Breast Cancer. What if we combined the two? How about dressing up as the pink ribbon, or the pink crusader? What about Racey for the Cure all in Pink? Of course Pink Fairies, Pink Queens, Pink Witches, Little BoPink are all viable combination options.

Will you dress in costume for work? On October 16th, American Airlines is encouraging their employees to dress up in pink for the cure. Susan G Komen for the Cure has a program, “Passionately Pink for the Cure”. This program encourages companies to fund raise, show your passion for the cure and manifest it by wearing of the pink. Sounds like a pink Halloween party to me!

Kids, or grandkids, are never too young to instill social responsibility and still have fun. Why not a pink theme family holiday? Many schools no longer have Halloween parties but have harvest festivals. Can you see pink scarecrow costumes, pink farmers, pink Dorothy with the red slippers? Adorable! Have fun and support breast cancer awareness through-out October.

A Menopausal Rant on Some Recent Medical Studies

If you have been reading the papers or various medical journals lately a few studies jump out from the page.
How about this one from the ‘American Academy of Sleep Medicine’,
“Biological clock out of sync in patients being treated for breast cancer with chemotherapy”?
You Think!
The study goes on to say that psychological factors such as stress, pain, depression, napping and more could be contributing factors. DUH!

In the Journal of Nature, “Gene therapy fixes colorblind monkeys”.
The study tells us that 7% of male Americans have red-green colorblindness, which is the inability to see a difference between shades of the two colors.
I am riveted to read more on how this research can help all humans. Let me say the researchers note that “Colorblindness is not life threatening”. They also acknowledge that gene therapy has risks of actually causing cancer and other life threatening complications. So…….?

In the Archives of Internal Medicine, “Defibrillators do little for women”.
A recent study showed that the devices do little for women in preventing them from dying of heart failure. This is one more study showing gender difference in regards to heart disease. Historically large studies have been on men with the results applied to women. So now once and for all can we say ‘What is good for the goose is good for the gander’ is a stupid saying?

Ways to become involved with the cause of Breast Cancer Awareness

October is National Breast Cancer awareness month, so all month long there are opportunities to raise your own BC IQ and enlighten others.
1 out 8 women in the United States will have breast cancer in her lifetime.
40,000 women in the United States died from breast cancer last year.

There is no cure for breast cancer. There is no definitive cause for breast cancer. You know you are cured from breast cancer when you die of something else. The top two causes for breast cancer are being a woman and having too many birthdays. Research is encouraging, but slow. The question remains:
Will you see a cure for breast cancer in your lifetime? In your daughter’s?

Here are a few things you can do to make a world with-out breast cancer, one day closer.

1. Schedule your mammogram
2. Encourage some one who has not got a mammogram to schedule it

October 16th is National Mammography Day

3. Donate to the Susan G Komen for the Cure, or any BC charity
http://www.komenforthecure.org/

4. October 2, 2009 is Lee National Denim Day. Wear jeans, and donate $5.00
http://www.denimday.com/

5. Join the Army of Women. Dr. Susan Love and Avon look for the Cause.
http://www.armyofwomen.org/

6. Shop with companies that donate to breast cancer research. Such as;
http://www.haralee.com/, http://www.newbalance.com/, http://www.coldwatercreek.com/
and many more. Be a conscientious consumer.

The Power of The Pink T-Shirt

43,000 people joined together for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure this Sunday in Portland Oregon. A beautiful sunny morning brought thousands touched by breast cancer a warm feeling of hope. Hope for the Cure, Hope for the Cause, Hope for the Healing. 43,000 people gave up their normal Sunday morning activities to show their support for curing breast cancer.

My company had a team again this year, Team Haralee. Team members are made up of survivors of breast cancer and the ugly stepsister of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and their families and friends. Our Donation goal, above the $25.00 entrance fee, was met this year!

Survivors wear a pink commemorative T-shirt. Non survivors wear a commemorative white T-shirt. Watching a sea of pink and white T-shirts is a very powerful image. Special attention is given to pink shirt wearers. There was a survivor tent with special goody bags filled with socks and tea and shoelaces and coupons from National Komen sponsors for all survivors. Deference was given to pink shirted women. Survivors were sent to the head of the line for samples, even the line for the port-a-potties.

For a few hours at this special event the Power of the Pink T-Shirt is honored. Those participating with the Race for the Cure understand the physical, mental, emotional, and fiscal costs of survivorship and show their respect and love. It is a celebration and a memorial and a very powerful event. Oregon and Washington have the highest rates of breast cancer in the country. With a dubious honor like that, Komen was able to chase out 43,000 people to support the Race for the Cure. I just wonder why not 100,000 or 200,000 people? Maybe next year there will be a cure, or a cause.
We all hold on to the Hope.

Genetic Gene Breast Cancer Hope

A new drug for genetic breast cancer is showing promise. A small study in the UK with the drug Olaparib, from pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, is showing promise in shrinking and stopping tumor growth.

Olaparib works by blocking a protein found in cancer cells with patients who have a BRCA-related breast cancer. What is very exciting is that the drug causes the cancer cells to die yet leaves healthy cells alone. This means the debilitating side effects of traditional chemotherapy would be drastically reduced.

Jews with an Ashkenazi heritage have a high incidence of BRCA related breast cancer. Those with the BRCA gene mutation have a 60% higher chance of getting breast cancer in their life time than those that do not carry the mutation. They also have a 60% increased risk of ovarian cancer. Up to 50% of people with the gene mutation do not have a family history of breast cancer largely because the gene can be carried by men who do not manifest the disease.

Andrew Tutt, the director of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit at King’s College London, said preliminary results were “very promising”.
The drug has the potential as an early stage preventative treatment. Many women develop breast cancer not knowing they carry the gene. More studies are needed, but the general thought from the genetic breast cancer community is HOPE.

The Toughest Breast Cancer Survivor Dies

Can you imagine performing a biopsy on your self? What about diagnosing your self with breast cancer? Can you grasp what it must have been like to watch your tumor grow and not be able to get treatments? Dr. Jerri Nielsen lived through this as a physician at the South Pole, but passed away recently from breast cancer 10 years after she diagnosed herself.

You may have read her book that documented her ordeal, “Ice Bound: A Doctor’s Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole”. Or you may have seen the CBS Movie starring the fantastic Susan Sarandon. She was an adventurous woman working at a remote scientific station at the South Pole at age 47 in 1999.

When people die from cancer their obituaries or eulogies often state that they fought bravely against the disease. Dr. Jerri was the extreme fighter against the disease. Not many will have to go to the extremes she endured.
The breast cancer community mourns the loss of the toughest survivor ever, Dr. Jerri Nielsen-Fitzgerald.

Cancer Survivor Day is June 7th, 2009

Survivorship comes in many forms. Surviving the loss of a loved one, a parent, a spouse, a child, a friend, a beloved pet, or an accident, a divorce, or an illness are all a part of life.

Survivorship can in retrospect have some laughable moments; your wedding, your child’s wedding, adolescence, family reunions, a conference, a vacation from hell, or menopause. These temporary survival situations are the fibers that make up our lives.

Those in the cancer community know how dear and elusive survival is from this disease. Cancer comes in many forms, many with-out a cure. A day acknowledging those who have survived cancer is a good day for this population group. Happy Cancer Survivor Day!

The Truth about Breast Cancer

The truth about breast cancer is that it happens. No one knows the cause or the cure. The only known causes of breast cancer are too many birthdays and being a woman. Every woman is shocked when she hears that diagnosis. I know I was. I couldn’t understand how I could have a fast growing life threatening disease when I felt great. Not until I started my treatments did I feel sick.

Last week the NY Times ran a story with a teaser headline under the picture of an obvious cancer patient, “Non-smoking, vegetarian who exercised was shocked when told she had Breast Cancer”. This is a tough story for this woman because after treatments her cancer returned. For those of us familiar with breast cancer, that is what it does, it comes back. There is no cure for breast cancer.

If eating blueberries, flax seed, walnuts, broccoli and such, and daily exercise was really the preventive cure we would see a drop in breast cancer statistics. This is not the case. Cancer is not one disease. Breast cancer may not respond the same way as treatments for another cancer, and varies from individuals.

Researchers are always looking for funding from foundations and companies to find a cure. In 1971 Richard Nixon vowed that the United States would find a cure for cancer. 38 years later the Obama administration is vowing to look for cures. I am forever the optimist and would like to see a cure for breast cancer in my lifetime. This administration seems to understand the complexity of cancer and hopefully will make head way for cures or causes.

Early detection is great. Healthy life styles are wonderful. The truth however is there is nothing to insure you against breast cancer. Like life, no guarantees, warranties or do-overs.

Metastasis breast cancer, no longer a hasty death notice, is cancer that has spread to other parts of the body that can be treated as a chronic condition. Treatments are on going, meaning for the rest of the woman’s life. This is the status of the woman in the NY Times story. I wish her well.

Brain Power

Susan Love’s Army of Women, http://www.armyofwomen.org/ has posted a Call to Action for women in the San Francisco, Stanford University area to participate in a new study. This study looks at the brain and cognitive function of breast cancer survivors and non survivors.

I am fascinated with the brain, and any studies concerning the brain pique my interest. In this study a MRI will measure brain function and brain structure. Breast cancer and its treatments can cause some temporary and long lasting problems related to memory, attention and problem solving.
In the last few years a condition called ‘Chemo Brain’ has been finally accepted as a side effect to chemotherapy. I would explain Chemo Brain but I am still a bit fuzzy on the subject.

If you have ever seen MRI, PET and CT scans of the brain from different population groups, you know the brain is truly incredible. Any study that looks at the brain functions with the objective to be helpful for survivors with cognitive function is a study worth every dollar, time and effort. If you know any women in the Northern California area, let them know how they can make a difference and also help their own brain function.

Previvor

A new word in the lexicon of breast cancer and ovarian cancer is “Previvor”.
A previvor is a person who does not have cancer yet, but is at a higher, elevated risk to get cancer. Previvors are demonstrated in those women who test positive for the BRCA gene mutation.

BRCA gene mutation means higher than normal risk for developing breast and or ovarian cancer at an increasingly early age. Also men and women who carry this mutation have a 50% chance of passing it on to their children.

The BRCA gene mutation and previvor status recently made news and raised awareness by actress Christina Applegate’s disclosure. Previvors have a whole new set of decisions when concerning their predisposition to cancer, such as; removing breasts, ovaries, freezing eggs and having children.

There is a wonderful documentary. “In the Family” by Joanna Rudnick who directs and tells her story as a BRCA gene mutation carrier. Read all about Joanna and her film in the cover story of Mamm magazine, http://www.mamm.com/, or see some highlights from the PBS broadcast, http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/inthefamily/special_video.html
It is educational, inspiring, and opens a discussion for all women.

The Thrill of Volunteering

Is it the new administration? Is it the poor economy and unemployment increases? What ever it is, volunteerism is a great thing to do. If you feel you have more time on your hands than usual and want to get involved there are a slew of agencies ready to use your skills. Don’t just think of your kids’ school or your church or synagogue, although these are great outlets, think beyond this comfort zone.

I took the plunge this past summer to sit on the board of a charity. http://clarajean.org/This is a non profit holistic approach to breast cancer. CJF acts as a resource for women going through breast cancer seeking alternative medicine and care. I have to say it is wonderful. The board members are people with other jobs and families who are making time in their lives for this worthwhile cause. I am exhilarated by their commitment and eagerness.

Shipping Shelby has caught the volunteer bug and is delivering meals on wheels once a week. He really is great with the elderly and it is a natural outlet for him. On his way to ship out our Haralee.Com orders he can do his volunteer job too.

I am chairing the fund raising efforts for the Clara Jean Foundation. Two events that have been great fund raisers are a walk with a health expo in May, and a golf tournament and auction in October. I am looking for ideas to expand on these successes and to procure more donations. Writing grants is possible, but I have never written a grant in my life so any ideas would be helpful! At Clara Jean we are looking for new committee members too. Please send your ideas to: haralee@haralee.com.

Attention Menopausal Women: HRT and Breast Cancer Link

New analysis from this 5 year old study is making news according to the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. http://www.sabcs.org/.

Taking HRT, estrogen and progesterone pills, increases the chance of breast cancer. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/

The good news of the analysis is that if you stop taking HRT, your chance for breast cancer decreases!
So like life, no guarantees, and the final choice is yours. Only you know how your menopausal symptoms are affecting your life. Know the risk, understand the treatment and make your own informed decision.

To take a proactive stand, take a look at the army of women. http://www.armyofwomen.org/.
Dr. Susan Love research foundation and Avon enlist ALL women, healthy women too, willing to become research participants, to help find causes of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Foods

Eating cruciferous vegetables, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower can help protect women against breast cancer. UCSB professors, Wilson, Jordan and Azarenko have shown “how the healing powers of these vegetables work at the cellular level”. http://www.ucsb.edu/.

Their paper was published in the December Journal of Carcinogenesis. http://www.carcinogenesis.com/.

So much has already been written about the virtues of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower that it seems at first like old news. What makes their research exciting is that it looks at the cellular level having similar positive results as the drugs Taxol and Vincristine.

Is there’s a Choice? Get similar results from eating your cruciferous vegetables with-out increased toxicity!

Here is a quick recipe: Haralee Slaw

3 cups shredded cabbage
2 carrots shredded
2 apples peeled and shredded
1 small sweet or red onion, thinly sliced in rings
2 Tablespoon fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Dressing:
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoon dry mustard

Toss the slaw, shake up the dressing, pour on top and enjoy!

Exercise in Breast Cancer Survivorship

I have been very fortunate to be a participant in an exercise study for breast cancer survivors for the last 23 months. The study just ended and the preliminary results are significant. Looking at bone density, and the impact of exercise looks very positive. The study was funded by the American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org/ and the Komen foundation. http://www.komen.org/.

Two groups were randomized, one attending a stretching, yoga class and the other a strength training class. The exercise results from both groups show very positive health improvements. Total body mass reduction, flexibility increases, less falls and bone density level gains.

Besides all the numerical health benefits, the emotional and personal gains are outstanding. To be a part of a land mark study that is pro active for your own health, and help other women going through breast cancer in the future is an honor. I was able to exercise with a good friend and become friends with other women who also happen to be breast cancer survivors. I am stronger than I was 2 years ago in many ways.

To become a part of a study near you look at http://www.armyofwomen.org/. Dr. Susan Love and Avon are looking for women to join their army who are healthy as well as those with health issues.

Cancer Genomes are like Garden Gnomes

Who ever said that the topic of cancer is depressing and no one would want to read about it has not read about Cancer genomes. Cancer genomes research is getting exciting. Really! According to Richard Wilson of Washington University in St. Louis, in the next decade or two, a blood sample will determine which drugs will work best for individual patients. “Personalized Genomics, Personalized Medicine”. http://genome.wustl.edu/publication.cgi.

The excitement of this work is that it looks at the entire genome, the entire DNA, rather than just the ordinary suspect or mutant genes in the body. The results find all the mutants in the body, not just the ones expected.

Like Garden Gnomes, Cancer Genomes are rarely inborn but develop later in life. Few small children ask for a garden gnome for Christmas, but Grand Ma or Grand Pa seem to acquire quite a few. Only 5-10% of all cancers are hereditary. Less than 5% of all garden gnomes are thought to be indigenous of their environment

Personalized medicine and personalized cancer treatments in the not so distant future is hopeful! Garden gnomes acquisition at your own risk.

Passionately Pink Pumpkins for The Cure

Komen has a program for the month of October, breast cancer awareness month, for companies to join in fund raising by wearing Pink. http://www.passionatelypink.org/. The goal is to set a date and anyone who wants to wear the Pink in support for the Cure donates at least $5.00.
We took this fund raising challenge on a different bent with Passionately Pink Pumpkins for the Cure. We had so many table top pumpkins from our garden that we decided to decorate them with pink boa feathers and sell them as Passionately Pink Pumpkins for the Cure. Of course we wore pink in more of a Halloween/costume theme and had pink lemonade and pink cupcakes, because what is a pink fund raiser with-out pink cake?
The response was great and we raised $150.00 from our afternoon efforts. Next year we are planning for bigger response, more lead time and more cupcakes. No guarantee that the garden will produce an abundance of pumpkins again, but we can adapt with Passionately Pink Potatoes for the Cure, or even Passionately Pink Parsley for the Cure. We have a year to passionately plan.
My lovely dress was bought at the local Goodwill for $5.95. This was hand sewn and must have been a bride's maid dress. The puffy sleeves and the bow in the back are the tell tale signs. A friend was looking for a princess dress just like mine to wear at the request of her 2 little boys for Halloween. I am delighted to loan it to her for the evening because I know how difficult it is to find a passionately pink taffeta dress when you need one!